My Blog

Posts for: December, 2017

You might see your teeth and gums as separate parts of your mouth. But we dentists see them as a unified biological system, each of them contributing to your mouth's various functions: eating, speaking and, of course, smiling.

The teeth-gum-mouth relationship is also a factor when things aren't going well. Tooth decay, for example, doesn't suddenly appear — conditions have to be present in the mouth to cause it. The same can be said for periodontal (gum) disease or bite problems.

So the best approach in dental care is to consider the whole — to first learn all we can about your mouth. We need to understand not only your current problems but also your health history and the unique features of your mouth. With this deeper understanding we can formulate a long-term plan that addresses all your individual needs.

We specifically want to identify your individual oral health risks, from your genetic makeup to any past problems with dental disease or the bite. We then want to assess your current state of health: do you have any presence of dental disease? Is any past dental work failing or in need of updating? Are there any biomechanical issues with the bite or bone loss that need to be addressed?

With this more complete picture, we can then prioritize your care and treatment. Some things like gum disease require immediate attention. Other areas such as bite problems or cosmetic issues may require planning and time to fully address. Our aim, though, is to eventually bring you to as high a level of health as your individual situation will permit.

Once we've achieved an acceptable level of health, our aim is to then maintain that level. This includes monitoring for changes in your oral health and intervening when necessary.

As you can see, establishing a care strategy is only the beginning — and care will always be ongoing. In fact, we'll need to modify your care as new issues arise or you experience the effects of aging. Our end goal, however, always remains the same — to help you achieve and keep the most healthy and attractive mouth possible.

Facing extensive dental treatment can be stressful—and even more so when you realize what it will cost. It’s a hard fact of life, but some dental work can be expensive.

The good news, though, is that it’s possible to keep your costs at a manageable level, even with limited finances. And your best first step is to become proactive with dental care now, before problems appear or get worse.

There are good reasons for making room in your budget for regular dental cleanings and checkups: for one, dental cleanings coupled with your own daily hygiene help keep bacterial plaque, the main cause of dental disease, from causing gum disease or damage to the tooth surfaces. And seeing us regularly makes it more likely we’ll detect a problem before it inflicts too much harm.

Regular visits are also important for establishing a relationship with us. As we become more familiar with you and your own individual risk factors for dental problems, we can then develop a treatment strategy to minimize those risks or take action to decrease their impact.

The latter point has direct bearing on the financial side of your care. It’s tempting to postpone a recommended treatment for a mild to moderate issue because of the expense. But receiving treatment now could save you from major expense later.

Perhaps, though, you’re actually facing that major expense now and the full weight of what it will cost is bearing down. Even in this situation, you may actually find there are less expensive ways to deal with the problem, at least temporarily until you can afford a more permanent solution.

For example, if you’ve lost a tooth or have had it extracted, you may be able to opt for a partial denture or similar less costly restoration—at least for the time being. Eventually, when you’re prepared financially, you can replace it with a dental implant or another permanent restoration. In the meantime, you’re able to regain a reasonable level of dental health.

The key is to invest in your teeth and gums now whatever their state of health. The efforts you make today could save you from a greater health and financial burden tomorrow.